This invention relates to surgical instruments and more particularly to a surgical instrument for applying spaced rows of staples to internal organs. Instruments of this type include a pair of elongated jaw members, one of which carries a staple cartridge with rows of staples and the other of which carries an anvil. A pusher bar and knife assembly is moved along the jaws to eject the staples by a camming action acting on the staple pushers associated with the individual staples to close the staples against the anvil through the tissue gripped between the jaws. The knife cuts the tissue along a line between the staple rows. One instrument of this type is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,079,606.
Forces needed to clamp or compress the tissue between the jaws in instruments such as these must be overcome when locking the jaws together. It also is desirable in certain instances to be able to latch releasably the proximal ends of the body members carrying the jaws before clamping the tissue between the jaws.